


To parties we tossed, to the games that we lost

by bisexual_smaug



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 22:50:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19877374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexual_smaug/pseuds/bisexual_smaug
Summary: A Marvel College AU. Morgan Stark, daughter of tech billionaire Howard Stark, returns to her student house after an unexplained absence. She reunites with fellow students Nat, Steve, and the footballer known to his friends only as 'Thor', and meets new housemate Valerie.





	To parties we tossed, to the games that we lost

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Bright College Days by Tom Lehrer
> 
> Chapter title from Iron Man 3 OST

_Back in black_

_I hit the sack_

_I've been too long I'm glad to be back_

The music playing on the Uber radio was somehow both too loud and not loud enough. Too loud for Morgan to be alone in the silence, not loud enough for her to listen without straining. This was just one of the things that made her want to punch something. Maybe she should just open the door and walk the rest of the way back to Park Avenue. 

“Hey could you turn that up please?”

The driver nodded, pushed a button. It had been what, eight weeks? nine weeks? since she’d last properly listened to anything. She hadn’t got her Spotify account back, that was something else to add to the endless list. Now the music was fine but the faux leather was sticky and the car smelled too much like air freshener and it was too warm. They’d just passed the motel so it’d be fifteen minutes from here. She sighed, clasped her hands together on her lap, tilted her head back. She could do fifteen minutes.

The first thing Morgan realised when the car pulled up outside 54 Park Avenue was that someone had been keeping her flowers in the window boxes alive. The second thing was that her card was still deactivated and there was no way she was explaining why to the driver, as nice as he’d been. She’d been hoping not to have to do this but…

“I’m sorry about this, but could you put it on a company tab?”

He turned around to face her.

“What company?”

“Stark Industries.” She stared out the window for a second more. “Here’s the ID.”

She passed the card over, watched as he scanned it against the reader, watched the neon green circle spin round and round.

“Stark Industries, huh.”

“Yeah.”

“You an intern there or something?”

“Something like that.”

The circle spun round for an agonising few more seconds, then it beeped green. All good. The driver passed it back to her, glancing at her name as he did so. She could feel herself reddening.

“Some intern.”

She opened the door, stepped outside, reached for her bag inside the boot as she caught his eye in the mirror again.

“You’re not the one in those articles are you?” he said, his eyes narrowing in distant recollection.

“No,” she sighed, slammed the boot. Judging by his expression he didn’t believe her. To his credit and to her relief, he didn’t press the matter more and the car drove off, leaving Morgan alone on the pavement.

The third thing Morgan Stark realised was that she’d forgotten her key. So much for an unannounced return. Typical.

Finger on the doorbell, she took a deep breath. Somehow this was weirder than she’d ever expected. They’d all started a new year without her, heck she even had new housemates she’d never met. Nat had sent her letters assuring her everything was great, and she trusted Nat’s judgement. Nat. Two months, two whole months. They’d not even got to say goodbye. Fuck she missed her.

Morgan inhaled and rang the bell.

There was a loud _thunk!_ and the door was flung open and with a an audible gasp Nat was there and—

“Your mum called,” she said, and without waiting for a reply, pulled her into a hug. Held her tighter as Morgan’s careful breaths broke into a sob, one thumb stroking up and down her back.

“It’s okay. You’re okay.”

When they finally broke apart, the tears were flowing down Morgan’s face.

“I didn’t want to cry,” she said quietly.

“I know, I know.” Nat began to wipe her tears away with a sleeve. “It’s okay.” She held her for a while longer, still on the doorstep, Morgan’s head resting against her shoulder.

“Do you wanna go inside?” She brushed aside a strand of Morgan’s warm, dark hair as the other girl pulled away to get her bag.“No, I’ve got it. You’re in the same room.”

“Yeah I know.” She could see Nat start behind her. “You told me.” That didn’t make it sound any less defensive. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine, you’re good.” Nat picked up the black case and followed her inside.

The hall hadn’t changed. Yellow wallpaper peeling slightly at the ceiling, though somebody had tried to patch it up with duct tape (again). Scuff marks on the stairs. Two plastic bags filled with recycling overflowing slightly near the pile of shoes.

“Who all knows?” Morgan asked.

“Knows you’re back or…”

“Knows I’m back.”

“I mean everyone, I think. Steve’s out right now but —“

A yell cut her off as a figure barrelled out of the door on the right and straight into Morgan, picking her up off her feet into a giant bear hug. It was impossible to do anything except accept the face-full of blond hair and the koala-like grip, and so she patted her friend gingerly on the back, feet dangling in the air and arms holding tightly to a pair of extraordinarily wide shoulders. At least this much hadn’t changed. Glancing through the mane of brown hair she could make Nat moving her bags out the way, grinning at Thor as he continued to hug her. A small, doe-eyed face appeared at the door as Thor gently lowered her back to the ground, grinning almost as much as Nat. He was one of the few people in Morgan’s opinion who could pull off a man bun, and that he did, with both style and nonchalance.

“Hey come in, we made tea.”

The face disappeared behind the doorframe once more, went about setting the final mug on a coaster.

“It’s good to have you back.”

Thor squeezed Morgan’s shoulder as she passed into the living room. She smiled up at him, words were proving difficult again.

This room had changed. The worn-through beige armchairs had been replaced with a tasteful set of plum sofas, and instead of the 3 legged Ikea table in the centre, which they’d proudly propped up on unused physics textbooks during the whole of last year, had been replaced by two dark oak coffee tables, already piled high with squared paper and Oscar Wilde plays.

“God you’ve been back two weeks.”

Morgan picked up the top sheet. _‘We understand the thoughts and feelings of all the monsters in Beowulf - but it’s only Grendel’s mother that we feel sorry for. Discuss.’_ Her stomach lurched as she set it down. Breathe in, breathe out. It’s only an essay.

The doe-eyed girl pushed a mug over towards her.

“Valerie. Nice to meet you.” She extended a hand, Morgan shook it.

“Morgan.”

“I know.” Valerie smiled up at her and settled into one of the sofas. She looked nice. Morgan vaguely remembered meeting her last year, when they had been looking for new roommates. She knew Thor, probably, judging by the Lacrosse hoodie and her well-toned brown forearms. 

Morgan picked up the mug she had given her, hot contents burning her fingers and bringing her mind fully back to reality. She let her eyes wander, taking in the rest of the room. The bright red suit of armour they’d drunk bought last year was still there. Someone had stolen a traffic cone and stuck it, lopsided, on the helmet, and she had a good idea who that might have been. Apart from that, the room was pretty much the same. The whiteboard calendar still hung opposite the door, filled in diligently until February. A physics past paper which had scored 69% (nice) was pinned next to it. Someone, probably Steve, had made a half hearted attempt to gather up all the dirty mugs and plates, currently all piled high on an upturned washing basket beside the door. The beaten up radio that they never used but Steve had thought was a good idea, covered in an even thicker layer of dust. A few more DVDs had been added to the collection next to the TV, she could see Wonder Woman and Cars 2 had joined the collection of Disney and Friends. She turned back to the room, felt three pairs of eyes on her.

There was that slightly awkward silence where nobody quite knows what to say. It was probably on her to break it; after all this was on her. She glanced up at Thor, still leaning against the doorframe, watching her with gentle concern.

“I swear you’ve got even bigger since I last saw you. How much are you benching?”

Thor’s face lit up as he proudly flexed his left arm.

“290 now! Three rep max but I’m getting there.”

Judging by Valerie’s enthusiastic nodding, she’d been following this progress intently, but to Morgan this meant very little.

The silence returned, punctuated only by Thor downing his tea in one. Somebody coughed awkwardly, Morgan back to looking around the room. Someone had put flowers in the empty vodka bottles that lined the windowsills (dahlias? She was pretty sure they were dahlias). She glanced back down to the table, back down to the essay.

“Where’s Parker?” She asked, suddenly realising they were missing. She saw Nat’s eyes flick downwards for a moment, the same awkwardness that filled the silence almost visible in her gaze.

“They’re on the roof,” she said, still not making eye contact.

“Ah.”

Nat cleared her throat. Another silence.

“I can go get them, if you want?”

“Nah you’re good.”

She put her mug back down, slightly too violently, and tea went sloshing over the sides onto the essay. Valerie lurched forward immediately, trying to salvage it. Morgan stood up, pretended not to notice.

“Can we…?” She nodded towards the door.

Nat looked back up.

“What? Yeah of course.”

Morgan stood up. She felt tired. There were too many people; maybe Obadiah was right, maybe coming back so soon was a mistake. She could feel Nat’s gaze on her as she followed behind, making for the door.

The other girl’s arm found her shoulder and guided her out, pulling her closer once they were part way up the stairs.

“I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too.”

That was all that needed to be said, really.


End file.
